"All that glitters isn't gold." My days in Oaxaca, a city whose colonial architecture, art-filled parks, floral courtyards, lively plazas, colorful shopfronts, extraordinary cathedrals, historical artifacts, and purely delicious cuisine beckon you to explore its wonders, have proven one of the key truths in travel: it is the people where you travel that make or break the experience. For no matter how fascinatingly gorgeous or culturally rich a place is, it will never win first prize in your list of travel greats if you feel you have been swindled, attacked, or otherwise mistreated. My first impressions of the city, having arrived at 6 in the morning and being blessed with the rare opportunity to watch the city slowly rise from its quiet slumber, were quite memorable. This was obviously a city that valued its private morning ... read more

Mmmm...Guatemala. At this moment I feel that I might be beginning to have a love affair with this country. "Third time´s a charm," right? Even though I am blasting through here at lightning speed and visiting cities I´ve already seen, I am totally captivated. Not that Guatemala is an idyllic paradise...its flaws are perhaps even more glaring because of the extreme beauty that it contrasts...but it is impossible not to be won over by this country. Both Antigua and Xela are colonial cities with all the European charm of cobblestoned streets, Baroque facades, lively plazas, and flowering gardens artistically adorned with sculptures and fountains. The central plazas at night, with the uplighting on the grandiose cathedrals, columned walkways, and pillared municipal buildings, hold a certain romanticism -- enhanced by the occasional horse-drawn buggy strolling by and ... read more

Ahhh...back to life on a tropical island. I guess that all island life is fairly similar, for I am reminded a lot of my semester in Malta as the laziness of island life takes over my body and I find myself lamenting the "long" walk of 13 minutes from my house to the dive shop. Speaking of which....yeah! i did my open water course! I wasn't exactly prepared for the barrage of studying and hurried pace I was expected to move at my first day on the island. I got reeled into the first dive shop I checked out, Cross Creek, and ended up staying because of the on site accommodations, kitchen facilities, low student to teacher ratio, and free fun dives. So at about 1 o'clock I signed up, and at 4 I started class ... read more

My fourth night in Honduras and I am STILL sick. I had originally planned on going right to the Bay Islands to take my PADI diving course, but since I have been coughing and congested I thought I would rest on the coast a couple days prior to leaving for Utila. However, I seem more congested now than ever --- a big no no for diving, I am told --- so I am off to Trujillo tomorrow for a couple days of lazing on the beaches. I know, Ì'm sure that all of you stuck in the throes of midwestern winters are really feeling sorry for me right now, but it has actually thrown a big crimp in my plans to be in and out of Honduras in 10 days. Unfortunately as well, I can't seem ... read more

So I am still a bit behind on my journal entering here because I have been very busy without really doing much here in Granada. Doing a month's worth of errands in the space of 5 days makes for some pretty uninteresting blogging. After we left Santo Domingo on the Isla de Ometepe, we headed to the Volcan Maderas side of the island for a brief stay in Hacienda Merida. Within 30 minutes of being there I wished I had 2 weeks to devote to this place and was somewhat kicking myself for having stayed in Santo Domingo so long. The hacienda is really cool, kind of like a backpacker's resort, with horse rental, kayaks, mountain bikes, volunteer opportunities, Spanish classes available, and .... a real luxury in Central America .... breakfast and dinner buffets. I ... read more